Collagenase Nanoparticles Enhance the Penetration of Drugs into Pancreatic Tumors.

Overexpressed extracellular matrix (ECM) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) limits drug penetration into the tumor and is associated with poor prognosis. Here, we demonstrate that a pretreatment based on a proteolytic-enzyme nanoparticle system disassembles the dense PDAC collagen stroma and increases drug penetration into the pancreatic tumor. More specifically, the collagozome, a 100 nm liposome encapsulating collagenase, was rationally designed to protect the collagenase from premature deactivation and prolonged its release rate at the target site. Collagen is the main component of the PDAC stroma, reaching 12.8 ± 2.3% vol in diseased mice pancreases, compared to 1.4 ± 0.4% in healthy mice. Upon intravenous injection of the collagozome, ∼1% of the injected dose reached the pancreas over 8 h, reducing the level of fibrotic tissue to 5.6 ± 0.8%. The collagozome pretreatment allowed increased drug penetration into the pancreas and improved PDAC treatment. PDAC tumors, pretreated with the collagozome followed by paclitaxel micelles, were 87% smaller than tumors pretreated with empty liposomes followed by paclitaxel micelles. Interestingly, degrading the ECM did not increase the number of circulating tumor cells or metastasis. This strategy holds promise for degrading the extracellular stroma in other diseases as well, such as liver fibrosis, enhancing tissue permeability before drug administration.

Subclonality for BRAF Mutation in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Is Associated With Earlier Disease Stage.

CONTEXT: The presence of driver mutations only in a subset of tumor cells within a single lesion, defined as subclonality, is being appreciated as a clinically significant factor. BRAF mutation is the most common driver mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). There are conflicting data in the literature regarding the presence of BRAF mutation subclonality in PTC and its clinical significance. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to use a molecular and morphometric approach to determine BRAF clonality status and its clinical-pathological correlates. DESIGN: Fifty-nine cases of PTC were studied. DNA extracted from the tumors underwent deep sequencing to determine the percentage of BRAF mutant allele copies. Additionally, we used computerized morphometry to determine the fraction of tumor cells in each sample. Using both variables, we were able to determine the presence or absence of subclonality for BRAF mutation, which was further correlated with clinical, pathological, and prognostic data. RESULTS: BRAF mutation was found in 49 (83%) cases. The average percentage of tumor cells and of BRAF mutant alleles in the samples were 68.1 ± 9.8 and 26 ± 6.7, respectively. Based on the molecular and morphometric analysis, 11 (24%) cases were found to be subclonal for BRAF mutation. Tumors with subclonal BRAF mutations were significantly smaller compared to tumors with clonal mutation (0.82 ± 0.38 cm vs 1.37 ± 0.57 cm, P = .005) and were less likely to have lymph node metastasis (0% vs 32%, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: In PTC, subclonality for BRAF mutation is associated with earlier stage. Molecular-morphometric analysis of PTC can provide clonality information with potential clinical significance.